


Aftermath

by Shapeshifter99



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Post Pacifist Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 16:11:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15004550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shapeshifter99/pseuds/Shapeshifter99
Summary: Three months after the Battle for Detroit, Markus, Kara, and Connor cross paths again.





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Those few scenes of interaction in Crossroads, Night of the Soul, and Battle for Detroit weren't enough for me - so I wrote about them meeting each other again when the dust has settled. Also, I think I should mention how I love this game so much that this is the first fic I've written in like two years, which is absolutely crazy now that I think about it!
> 
> This is post-pacifist ending, with most of the major choices hopefully made clear in the story.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

**DETROIT**  
**FEB 4TH, 2039**  
**AM 10:56:11**

“Careful stepping over that.” Kara offered a hand to Alice, who took it without preamble as she hopped over the small ridge of the sidewalk.

Luther, following behind the two, smiled a little at his companion’s overprotectiveness. “She knows how to use her feet, Kara,” he teased gently.

Kara shot him a slightly defensive look. “I’m just—”

“—Worried,” Alice piped up. “I know, Mom.”

The affectionate term sent a ripple of warmth flooding through Kara’s circuits and she almost immediately forgot any irritation as she turned to smile at the child android. “Exactly,” Kara replied. “Besides, you can’t blame me.”

The newfound lightness of her tone didn’t have the desired effect on Luther. Instead, his eyes darkened slightly and a small frown creased his synthetic skin whilst Kara winced to herself at her lack of tact. Coming back to Detroit temporarily was a decision the three had made together, born out of a desire to revisit their old haunts now that the city had settled down and androids were being granted rights. But despite Markus’ excellent work, Kara still found herself tensing whenever someone gave them a second glance, and she knew Luther’s quiet nature was hiding his own anxieties.

Out of the three, Alice was the only one who seemed unaffected. Maybe if Todd were still alive she would have been more worried, but considering that she had been able to pass herself off as a human to others for months without much difficulty, it made sense that her less experienced mind wouldn’t have any qualms.

“Look!” Alice said suddenly, pointing upwards. Both Kara and Luther immediately tensed, their gazes shooting to where their charge was indicating… only to relax a moment later. Markus’ benevolent face was currently gracing one of the big screens that were plastered all over Detroit, speaking words of wisdom and peace to the city’s inhabitants. “It’s Markus!”

Almost instinctually, Kara smiled up at the android leader’s blown up face. “It sure is,” she said, giving Alice a quick squeeze on the shoulder. “Looks like he’s been busy.” They’d heard about Markus’ efforts to integrate androids into society as sentient beings, to backlash from some but not most of the population. It was one of the reasons that Kara had relented to coming back to Detroit in the first place, and she wanted to thank him personally for helping them get out while they still could.

“Are we going back to Jericho, then?” Alice said eagerly, grabbing Luther’s hand and tugging on it.

Luther and Kara exchanged looks. The old Jericho—the freighter the deviants had repurposed—was gone, but as a gesture of good will, the president of the United States had allowed Markus and his people to take possession of an older group of buildings. It had already been dubbed ‘New Jericho’ by the androids, though it had earned the slightly more derisive nickname ‘Android Town’ from humans that still weren’t ready to accept them as sentient beings.

“Yes,” Kara settled on finally. “We’re going back to Jericho, even if it looks different now.”

That was all Alice needed to hear.

“Let’s go then!” she chimed, lifting the hand that was twined with Luther’s. The huge android rumbled a laugh and swept her up onto his shoulders.

“Jericho awaits.”

 **HOME BASE,**  
**NEW JERICHO**  
**FEB 4TH, 2039**  
**AM 11:23:06**

Markus was tired.

Not physically tired, of course. Androids were incapable of that, even deviants, though they did have moments of shut-down that allowed them to withdraw from their surroundings temporarily. This, however. This was an exhaustion Markus thought any human could understand—the deep weariness of feeling so many emotions and thinking so many thoughts that all you wanted to do was slip away and be alone for a moment.

He’d been hard at work to improve relations between androids and humans, acting as a representative for the cause, and it had yielded results. But he couldn’t help but want a little time to himself now that things were finally starting to settle.

“Markus?”

He jerked back into the present, realizing he’d been staring absently at the screen between his hands. He cleared his throat and turned in his seat to see Simon in the doorway, smiling slightly.

“Doing okay?” his friend said kindly.

Markus forced a grin. “You know me. Just… working.”

Simon walked closer to his desk. The room was simple, but Markus liked it that way—a small office on the top floor in the building that made up the largest part of New Jericho. It was here that the deviants did most of their business, while the other buildings in the area were used as living quarters.

Markus watched as Simon drew his forefinger along the edge of his desk, following the sharp lines to the corners. “You know, locking yourself up here is one of the few things Josh and North can agree on—they want you to enjoy yourself, you know. Mingle with the people.”

Markus rolled his eyes. “Of course it is,” he said, his voice full of affection for his closest friends. Since earning freedom, North had mellowed out for the most part, though her eagerness to lash out against ignorant humans still brought up past tensions with Josh. Everyone knew the two would be ready to die for each other though, like siblings.

That was an interesting thought, Markus realized, rolling the word around his head. Siblings. Yet another thing androids couldn’t physically have but had created among themselves, despite humans telling them they couldn’t.

“Markus?”

Markus blinked. “Sorry, Simon,” he said ruefully. “Maybe you’re right about me needing to get outside.” He rubbed his temple, where his LED had once been before he’d pried it off. It was a tic he couldn’t get rid of, no matter how hard he tried, and Simon noticed it immediately.

“Glad to see you’re listening to reason.” Simon placed a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him where he sat. “Get out of here, Markus. We can hold down the fort while you get some rest.”

“Alright, alright,” Markus replied, getting to his feet. “I’ll go, I see how it is.”

Simon grinned at him as he went to the door.

“And don’t come back until at least two hours have passed, otherwise expect a lecture and a beating from the other two,” Simon teased.

Markus shook his head and gave his friend a two-fingered salute as he left the room. “Will do.”

 **DETROIT CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT**  
**CENTRAL STATION**  
**FEB 4TH, 2039**  
**AM 11:27:49**

Hank had been staring at Connor for a while now. The android had done his best to ignore it, knowing from experience now that the grizzled lieutenant was always grumpier in the mornings and didn’t often merit any comment, but his partner’s persistent stare was starting to unnerve him.

Clearing his throat as he looked up from his desk, he asked, “Yes, Hank?” It was still a bit strange to refer to him by his first name—but after everything that had happened in November, Hank had insisted.

Unperturbed about being caught, Hank frowned at Connor. “Don’t you get tired of the whole…” Unable to express himself, Hank waved at his own face. “…Thing?”

“Thing?” Connor repeated, reaching up in confusion. When his fingers brushed against a smooth disc near his temple, he understood. “Oh. My LED?”

“Yeah.”

“I guess… I hadn’t really thought about it,” Connor replied. He’d been too busy these past few months to really care about what he looked like. No… that was a lie, on reflection. Something that still managed to catch him by surprise from time to time. Not a lie to someone else, which had always come easy as a machine, but to his own mind. Connor thought that maybe… he liked having the LED. Not as a concept, but because it made it seem like everything was the same as it used to be. Even if it wasn’t.

He glanced down.

Even if it really, _really_ wasn’t.

“Well, I dunno about you, but I think you should get rid of it,” Hank said brusquely, leaning back in his chest and crossing his arms. _Defensive_ crossed Connor’s field of vision instantaneously in response to the body language. “It’s too easy to read you now that you’re… _feeling_ shit. And change up your look while you’re at it. It’s bad enough that you aren’t gonna age physically while I turn into a crusty old man.”

Connor hummed thoughtfully, still lightly touching the LED. Maybe Hank had a point. He’d tried on several other outfits since becoming a deviant, since Hank had gone to the trouble of buying him his own clothes, but he never really wore them—it seemed more practical to wear his old uniform to work. Though that might have also been a side effect of Hank’s particular fashion choices.

“Maybe you’re right,” the android acknowledged. He’d been living in his past too much lately—it was time to fully step into his new life as a deviant. His mind was already there, anyway.

“About me turning into a crusty old man?”

Connor shot a smirk at his partner, the expression pleasantly instinctive for him now. “That too.” His face softened. “But… about the LED. You’re right. I think it’s time.”

Hank let out a huff and nodded his head sharply. “Glad you think so,” he grumbled. Despite his attitude, Connor could tell Hank was pleased by his response. “Aren’t you going to visit New Jericho later today anyway?”

Connor blinked. “That’s right.” On cue, his internal chronometer informed him of the time. “I’ll go in a little while—I want to finish up these files first.” He returned his attention to his terminal and resumed his scouring and reorganization of information to try and determine their current target’s next possible moves.

“You may be a deviant now, but you’re the only person I’ve ever heard say that,” Hank grumbled, both disgusted and impressed.

Connor shrugged, a smile toying at his lips. “I’m trying to be a good influence.”

Hank scowled at that. “Yeah well, you’re outta fucking luck there, buddy,” he shot back.

The android held his tongue, still feeling the urge to let his synthetic muscles to contract his face into a full shit-eating grin. Hank’s protests were vehement, but the android knew he’d done good work on him—Hank was already drinking 31% less on average per week thanks to Connor’s not-so-subtle nudging, and the android planned to get him all the way to sobriety if he could.

“Whatever you say, lieutenant,” Connor said airily. “Whatever you say.”

 **OUTSKIRTS OF NEW JERICHO**  
**FEB 4TH, 2039**  
**PM 12:13:32**

“So this is it,” Luther said, sounding awed as he, Kara, and Alice finally stepped onto the land that had been officially designated for androids. “New Jericho.”

Kara nodded, unable to find the words to express the sudden happiness welling up in her.

New Jericho wasn’t impressive by any means. Aside from the ten-story building that rose up from its center, it was mostly composed of squat apartment buildings of four or five stories, all looking as if they would fall over if the wind blew a little too hard. Being early February, the weather wasn’t too great either, and it wasn’t quite cold enough for snow, so instead the scene was complemented by dreary skies.

And yet, despite that, New Jericho was brimming with life. Even on the outskirts, from where they stood Kara could see dozens of androids in the windows, in the streets. Most had already forgone their LEDs and CyberLife-issued uniforms, and were chatting together while accomplishing daily tasks. Kara guessed that others were working in the human-dominated parts of the city, but there were still a fair amount in New Jericho too.

“It’s amazing,” Kara said, her voice hushed. They’d seen pictures and videos on TV while in Canada, but nothing could compare to seeing the real thing. Reacting to her strong emotional response, her biocomponents clenched painfully in her chest and Kara pressed her hand to her collarbone.

Luther nodded in agreement. “Markus has done well.”

Alice seemed just as wonderstruck as them, and her eyes suddenly widened even further. “Wait!” she said, and without preamble, tore herself out of their grasps and ran forward.

“Alice!” Kara said, her voice immediately changing in pitch as her fingers uselessly grabbed where the child had been moments before. Already she could feel the anxiety rising, months of hiding and running come back to haunt her. “Alice, come ba—”

“She’s fine, Kara,” Luther said, patting her on the shoulder. “Look!”

Alice was still running, arms outstretched. “Jerry!” she exclaimed, drawing the attention of several other androids out on the street.

“Jerry—?” Kara repeated, stunned, just as Alice smacked herself into a suddenly familiar figure.

“It’s the little girl!” the figure said, sounding just as shocked as Kara was. He looked up, as if sensing where they were, and his face broke into a bright, sunny smile as he recognized them too. “Kara! Luther!”

Kara grinned back, disbelieving and relieved. It _was_ a Jerry. Same carroty hair and the dimples, but significantly happier than when she’d last seen one of his model. They kept in touch with the Jerry that had made it across the border with them, but it warmed her heart to no end to see that others had survived too.

Luther walked towards Jerry and Alice, and Kara realized she’d been staring for just a little too long. She broke into a jog after her taller friend, now letting a laugh bubble out of her. “You’re okay!” she said joyfully.

“We should be telling you the same thing!” Jerry replied, placing a comforting hand on Alice’s head. She had yet to release her death grip on their friend. “We’d hoped you made it across the border, but we didn’t know if…” His voice trailed off, slightly somber now.

Kara placed a kind hand on his arm. “We made it. So did another Jerry, in fact.”

At that, Jerry’s smile returned at full force. “We’re so happy to hear that. But what are you three doing here?”

Kara and Luther exchanged a glance. “We just wanted to visit New Jericho, really,” Kara admitted. “To see Markus and tell him thank you for all he’s done. We’ll probably go back to Canada afterwards, but it’s good to see that Detroit is changing for the better like we’d hoped it would.”

“Well, if you’re looking for Markus, he’s probably at home base.” Jerry pointed towards the tallest building in the New Jericho area. “We’re sure he’d be glad to see you—he seems to appreciate it when our people come to tell him their stories.”

“He deserves the praise,” Luther said warmly.

Kara glanced at him and smiled. Luther had never met Markus like she had—considering that they’d been separated after the original Jericho had been compromised—but he had steadfast admiration for the android leader which had only increased after Kara had relayed her experience with him.

“Speaking of, we should probably be on our way,” Kara added, a bit sadly. “But we’ll find you again before we leave.”

Jerry nodded in understanding as Alice finally released him. “Of course. You’re always welcome with us, Kara.” He smiled down at the small android. “And we’re always happy to watch over the little girl.”

“Thank you, Jerry,” Kara said, reaching forward to give him a brief hug. “It was so good to see you again.”

Jerry hugged her back, carefully. “Likewise.”

 **STREETS OF NEW JERICHO**  
**FEB 4TH, 2039**  
**PM 12:54:12**

Despite everything, Markus didn’t think he’d ever get used to others calling out his name as he walked the streets. When he’d cared for Carl—who, despite a long fight, had passed away a few months ago with both Markus and Leo beside him—Markus had been invisible to others, a simple machine that served a purpose and nothing more. Now, though, androids both unknown and familiar would get his attention with a quick wave and smile.

Carl would have been proud, Markus thought. Proud of what he’d achieved, and how he was handling things.

Carl.

Markus ducked his head as a familiar sadness began to seep in. Life was a little duller, a little less colorful, now that the man he’d considered a father was dead. His first tears had been for Carl, though he’d waited until getting back to New Jericho to let them fall. North, Simon, and Josh had all been there for him in that first raw week, something he’d be endlessly grateful for. They knew how far he’d pushed himself to stay detached during the revolution, to try and suppress the endless grief of his people dying while they had to fight, and their protection during this moment of vulnerability was their way of showing their thanks for it.

It was easier now, though. To let himself accept what had happened. It was funny—most assumed that just because he had been the leader of the deviant revolution, he had been able to embrace his new nature wholeheartedly, but it wasn’t true. Breaking through his programming had been easy, but with all the difficulties that choices and emotions presented, it was hard to figure it all out.

Markus shifted as he dug his hands into his pockets. He’d developed a fondness for knee-length coats, much to the amusement of his friends. They seemed to think he preferred the style because it made him seem more dramatic—at this point, Markus couldn’t tell whether they were wrong or right about that.

Just the thought of North and Josh making fun of his ‘extravagant’ tastes brought a slight smile to his face and let the sad thoughts of Carl fade away into the background.

“Hi Markus!” an android called out, waving at him excitedly.

He smiled warmly back, lifting one hand in greeting. Simon had been right—taking a little time for himself had been a good idea. It always made him feel better to be out in New Jericho, to see the life that androids were now building for themselves.

He side-stepped a puddle from the last snowmelt, bracing his hand against one of the walls. The stone was crumbling—he’d need to talk to someone about finally doing more work on the buildings. Androids might not be subjected to human issues like cold or illness, but that didn’t mean they didn’t deserve proper homes. More importantly, he didn’t want any ceilings falling on someone’s head.

“Markus?”

Immediately, Markus’ circuits jumped into action to identify the familiar voice. He half-turned to look across the street, where the voice had come from.

“Kara?”

The former house-keeping android looked almost exactly the same as when he’d last seen her. Except… she seemed softer. Happier. In part, no doubt, due to Alice clinging to her hand and the looming android next to her.

“It _is_ you,” Kara said, sounding relieved, as she strode across the street to greet him. “We were trying to find you.”

Markus nodded his head sheepishly. “Ah, sorry about that. I was warned to go outside and spend some time away from work. Whatever that means,” he joked.

Kara’s eyes twinkled at that. “It’s no trouble. We’re just glad we happened across you.”

Markus smiled back, slightly bemused. “I’m happy to see you, of course, but… what are you doing here? I thought you’d left for Ontario.”

“We did, thanks to you,” Kara replied gratefully, her hold on Alice’s hand tightening slightly. “It was close, but the passports held up—and your protest was enough to convince border patrol to let us through.”

Markus let out a surprised breath at that. After he’d said goodbye to Kara and Alice, he’d worried about the two of them—he’d admired Kara’s dedication to the little girl, but at the same time having an android child with you seemed like a disadvantage. “I’m just glad you two were safe,” he said finally. Alice gave him a bright smile, one that softened him immediately. There weren’t many child models left, and Markus was beyond happy that at least a few had survived the revolution.

“Alice and I wanted to come back and thank you personally,” Kara added, glancing down at her charge. “And Luther.”

The taller android next to Kara shifted at her words—Luther, Markus guessed. The android leader extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you,” he said in a friendly tone. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced—I’m Markus.”

Luther stepped forward—wow, he really was huge—and took his hand with a strong, firm grip.

“I’m Luther,” he rumbled. “It’s an honor to meet you, Markus.”

“We got separated after Jericho,” Kara hastened to explain. “That’s why he wasn’t with us at the church.” At that, all three seemed to wilt, slightly lost in the memories of their separation.

Markus nodded his head solemnly. “I’m glad you found each other again,” he said heavily. Too many friends had been torn apart that night. He cleared his throat and glanced up at the small family. “But we’re working towards something better now. You know what, why don’t you three come with me? We can find a place to sit and talk, if you want.”

Kara smiled, and in that moment Markus could remember with perfect clarity why he’d done all he had to get androids to where they were. “That sounds perfect.”

 **STREETS OF NEW JERICHO**  
**FEB 4TH, 2039**  
**PM 13:10:42**

Connor tossed his calibration coin from palm to palm. Before becoming a deviant, his coin tricks had only been a means of checking his physical and cognitive functions. Now though, he was loathe to admit that they’d become a nervous habit.

The coin flipped over the knuckles of his right hand, then back again as, with the other hand, Connor tugged on the zipper of his new jacket.

After leaving the police station, he’d stopped by the closest clothing store to find something more… ‘normal’ to wear. The shop assistants had been lovely and welcoming, despite the glaring obviousness of his glowing uniform and the LED on his temple. They’d ushered him around to a few different racks, handed him their favorites, and then shoved him into a dressing room without any preamble. Connor had, surprisingly, ended up favoring a few in particular and bought him with the money granted to him now that androids were allowed salaries and he was given an official position in the DCPD.

The last step had been dropping off his new purchases at Hank’s home—which was basically his now as well, though Connor was thinking of getting his own place—and finally removing his LED.

It had taken him a while. Something Connor could only classify as anxiety threatened to overwhelm him every time he’d raised the sharp pen-knife to his head, but he’d managed to push past it at last and dig the wretched thing out.

Seeing it clink around in the sink had been surreal—it was almost like when he and Hank had still been hunting deviants and finding evidence of their rebellion. He stood there staring at the LED long enough that Sumo began to whine on the other side of the door, unused to such complete stillness from the android.

He’d left the LED in the sink while he put on some new clothes, already rubbing at the now blank space where it had been only minutes before. A part of him just wanted to leave it as he shrugged on a leather jacket and tied up his boots, and he was nearly out of the house before he stopped. He hesitated at the door for a moment, then went, grabbed the LED, and put it in his pocket.

Even now, he felt like it was burning through his new jeans and fiddling with his coin was the only thing preventing him from taking it out and staring at it like an idiot.

Fortunately though, his… well, he couldn’t call it a _disguise_ , but his clothes allowed him to blend in. Most androids had taken to wearing human clothes, so he was no longer out of place. A fair amount of the deviants here knew him already, but Connor knew that most were having difficulties accepting him. He couldn’t blame them—he was still ashamed of himself for his actions as CyberLife’s famous deviant hunter.

He’d been to New Jericho often enough that he knew his way around. After the revolution, Markus had done his best to bring him into the fold, with Connor unofficially becoming a liaison between humans and androids, and apparently a ‘model of android integration’, to quote a news article that had been published in December.

Connor didn’t really know what to make of it all. Part of him wanted desperately to be accepted by his people and he was doing everything he could to help make the process of assimilating android rights easier for everyone, but another part simply wanted to spend the rest of his days solving cases with Hank.

This visit had actually been Connor’s idea—there were still some hiccups in terms of how law-breaking deviants were to be treated, something that needed to be discussed with Markus and Josh. Connor knew that if they were to put the pressure on, policies would change more quickly. After being tasked with taking down deviants, the android couldn’t help but feel like it was his duty to put everything right.

‘Home Base’, as it had been named, wasn’t difficult to navigate to. Connor was able to divert some of his processing power back to his coin tricks to keep himself from overthinking as he entered the tallest building of New Jericho, yet another issue he’d had to face as a deviant.

“Sorry—do you know where Markus is?” Connor asked a couple of androids who were chatting just inside the entranceway.

One of them, an AP700, glanced at him. “I’m not sure,” she said apologetically. “You might have better luck asking North—I saw him go by with a few androids a little while ago, so he’s somewhere here, but we don’t know much more than that.”

Connor nodded. “Thanks,” he said, giving the android a quick smile as he walked past her.

“No problem.”

It took Connor a few more minutes of searching and asking around to finally catch Markus’ trail. It was like a less-stressful version of his old work, something that he admittedly found just a bit funny, as he followed a line of witnesses until he finally came across North.

“Connor!” she said, surprised, as he literally rounded the corner and bumped into her. “It’s good to see you.”

“Hi, North,” Connor replied, steadying her with a hand to her forearm. “Have you seen—”

“Upstairs, in the lounge,” North interrupted before he could finish, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes. “I’m sure he’d be glad to see you—especially with the new look.” She gestured at his leather jacket, loose t-shirt, and jeans in turn, raising a coppery eyebrow.

Connor glanced down at his outfit, finding himself slightly embarrassed. “I thought it’d be better to start… blending in more, I guess.”

North gave him an approving nod. “Well, it looks good. You look like one of us.” She gave him a friendly clap on the shoulder. “I’ll see you around, right?”

“Right,” Connor replied, a little more confidently. He belonged here.

North gave him another parting smile as she brushed past him, her long hair swishing against her back in an unbound style for once. Connor wasn’t sure if it was just him, but the aggressive WR400 model seemed a lot gentler now that everything had settled down. Though, to be fair, the initial anger might have had something to do with Connor’s deviant-hunting mission.

Connor headed upstairs, his route calculated before even taking his first step. The AP700 had said that Markus had been with other androids—maybe he was interrupting? He’d just let Markus know he was here, then wait outside until he was done.

He reached the open doorway that marked the entrance to the third-floor communal area.

Yeah, that seemed like—

 **HOME BASE,**  
**NEW JERICHO**  
**FEB 4TH, 2039**  
**PM 13:26:04**

Kara and Luther both looked up instinctively at the sound of footsteps. They were in a large room filled with couches and a few tables—a lounge, Markus had told them proudly, for the androids in the building to talk in a more informal setting.

They’d been talking through their story with Markus, relating what the situation was like in Canada, how they were doing, with Alice keeping herself occupied by checking random things in the room, occasionally returning to their sides (Markus’ included) to seek some attention, but were distracted by the presence of someone new.

“Mark—”

The male voice trailed off as Kara twisted around in her armchair and froze.

She knew him.

The deviant hunter.

On cue, Alice slowly returned to her and reached for her hand. Kara took it and held on tight.

Connor lingered in the doorway awkwardly, partially seeming like he wanted to keep talking and at the same time just disappear and leave them to it.

Kara knew that he was a deviant now—she’d seen him at the church after Jericho was blown up, and she also knew that Markus trusted him. But it was different, seeing the android who had nearly gotten Alice killed right in front of her, even if he was dressed like any other human or android now.

“Connor!” Markus said, getting to his feet. Kara didn’t miss the way his heterochrome eyes flashed between the two of them, assessing, calculating. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I can come back,” the detective android said politely. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Luther, now clearly sensing the tension, shifted uneasily next to Kara.

“That’s okay,” Kara said, her voice sounding distant to herself. She cleared her throat and forced a smile. He was a deviant now. He wasn’t going to hurt them. Most importantly, he had helped win the revolution, and that had to count for something.

“You two… know each other, right?” Markus said, tone carefully diplomatic.

Kara saw the barest flutter of Connor’s eyes at that. His LED was gone, though—she didn’t have a clue what he was thinking.

“You could say that.”

Kara stood up, slowly. Immediately, all eyes were on her, and Alice’s grip became stronger as if to say ‘Don’t leave me behind’. She stepped closer to Markus and Connor.

“We’ve never been properly introduced, though,” Kara said. She stuck out her free hand. “I’m Kara. This is Alice, and Luther.”

Connor stared at her hand for a moment, as if she’d popped it out of its wrist socket, but took it in a gentle, warm grasp. “My name is Connor. I work with the police department.”

“I know.”

The deviant hunter twitched slightly and let out a resigned sigh at that. “And, since we’re here, I’d like to… apologize. For going after you and Alice.” His brown eyes broke contact with hers to stare at the little girl for a moment. Something that Kara had seen in the very depths of his gaze as she stared at him through a chain-link fence all those months ago was now at the forefront, raw and emotional. “I wasn’t awake then, and I was forced to follow my programming. I’m sorry for scaring you… but I’m different now. I’m one of you.”

A part of Kara wanted to recoil from him. Maybe slap him in the face for good measure. But another part, the part full of kindness and sympathy that Alice had nurtured since they had met, struggled to let itself be seen and heard. It prevailed. Kara let go of Alice’s hand, and after a heartbeat of stillness, reached out and cradled Connor’s with it. And, without pause, she shared her memories with him.

All the pain, the fear. The constant worrying about Alice, the guilt over leaving Luther behind on Jericho. The wrenching realization that Alice was an android, not a human like she’d convinced herself, and the peace that had come only moments later, because so what?

Connor was frozen by the onslaught, she could tell. But just as she could share her memories, so did he. She felt his doubts about his mission, the unrelenting urge to _obey obey obey_ , his growing fondness for Hank Anderson, a human he now saw as a father, the responsibility for the lives of his fellow androids. The endless pain over having caused his people suffering, of having deviated too little too late. 

It was almost overwhelming to see the things he'd seen, to feel his vibrant, deviant emotions when she already had enough trouble dealing with her own. She... couldn't _take_ it any longer.

They both withdrew from each other in the same moment, processors whirring at thousand miles per second.

For a moment, Kara couldn’t speak, willing herself to let go of the past that clearly lay so heavily on this other android’s shoulders. He had suffered too—they all had. She breathed out and nodded slightly to herself.

Markus, Alice, and Luther were all still staring at her, expectant and maybe a little reluctant to see what her reaction was. Connor still seemed hyperfixated on their hands, as if any movement would ruin this fragile moment.

“I forgive you.”

Connor’s gaze jerked upwards to meet hers, shocked. He clearly hadn’t been expecting it. But Markus and Luther were already smiling widely at her peace offering—this was the Kara they knew.

She smiled at him, hoping he would understand. And, to her relief, he smiled back.

 **HOME BASE,**  
**NEW JERICHO**  
**FEB 4TH, 2039**  
**PM 13:28:35**

Markus had never felt prouder than in that moment. To see two androids, both of whom had suffered so much in their own ways, to be able to reconcile what had happened between them… it was all he could have ever wanted from them.

Three androids.

Three deviants.

Three lives, all distinct and individual, yet hopelessly tangled together.

Kara and Connor let go of each other’s hands, Alice immediately taking the opportunity to latch onto her adoptive mother with the speed of lightning. Kara seemed at peace, though, and smiled down at her charge kindly. “It’s okay, Alice,” she whispered to her as Connor took a step back, once again mindful of their privacy. “I’m okay.”

Markus placed a hand on Alice’s head in playful reassurance. His chest felt lighter, as if an anchor tying him down had suddenly been cut loose.

“I can see why you made it across the border,” Markus said, directing it towards Kara, Alice, and Luther. Their empathy seemed to know no bounds. Josh was right—kindness and peace were the paths to a better future for his people, and Kara had just proven that.

Kara laughed a bit at that. “Sometimes I don’t know why myself,” she admitted, but Markus could see the love in her eyes as she glanced at Alice and Luther.

“Don’t listen to her,” Luther said from where he still sat, his posture relaxed now that everything had been sorted. “She’s the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

Markus nodded in agreement. “I can see why you think that,” he replied, watching as Alice finally let go of Kara’s hand and scampered to Luther so she could sit in his lap.

Connor, who had been silent since Kara had taken his hand, looked up from the floor with a furrow of concentration on his brow. “When I was still under CyberLife’s control,” he said slowly, face tensing as if the mere mention of CyberLife brought back bad memories. “One of my main goals was to try and discover what or who rA9 was.”

Markus and Kara blinked, not quite understanding where he was going with this.

“I thought maybe it was some kind of… mythic figure for deviants. And rA9 is, I suppose. Then I thought it was you,” Connor continued, glancing at Markus. “All the deviants I’d come across seemed to think rA9 would set them free, and you did. But maybe…” He paused, sucking his lower lip between his teeth in a surprisingly human gesture. “Maybe it’s something else entirely.”

Markus understood immediately. Maybe not in _words_ , which Connor seemed to be unable to grasp to define what rA9 was, but Markus could feel it in his human-wrought soul.

rA9… was _them_. All of them—all androids, all deviants. rA9 was Markus, Kara, and Connor, and the androids they’d met who had shaped them into who they were now.

It all came into swimming focus, like there had been a stroke of paintbrush missing from the final product, and now that it was there, everything could be seen as a whole.

Markus reached up and placed his hand on his chest, where he could feel the regular pulsing of his thirium pump. _Alive,_ it said. _I am alive._ But more importantly, his soul sang those same words.

Glancing at Kara, seeing her shining, hopeful eyes, Markus knew that she understood it too.

They were the future—they had all had their parts to play, and now they could work together to bring androids the justice and peace they deserved.

Together, they could do it.

 _We are rA9,_ Markus thought as Connor and Kara both looked at him, all three connected in this strange web of fate that had brought them all together for a second time.

 _We are rA9_ , Connor repeated, disbelieving and glad at the same time.

 _We are rA9,_ Kara echoed last, again that silvery hope for the future shining through.

In that moment, Markus' worries about his people faded away, just a little. Kara's fear for Alice soothed. The weight of Connor's LED in his pocket became lighter. Their burdens began to dissipate.

_And rA9 will set us free._

**Author's Note:**

> Connor in a leather jacket, anyone?
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading!


End file.
